We got to enjoy some excellent racing over the festive period, particularly at Kempton and Chepstow in Britain and Leopardstown and Limerick in Ireland.
In a number of Grade 1 races there were a few high-profile horses who blotted their copybooks, including 2025 Cheltenham Gold Cup winner, Inothewayurthinkin, whose form you can analyse at irishracing.com
Here we take a look at some of the biggest underperformers over the Christmas period.
Mydaddypaddy
Dan Skelton’s Mydaddypaddy shot to the head of the betting for the Supreme Novices’ Hurdle after winning a pretty average maiden hurdle at Carlisle in November and followed up at Haydock next time, comfortably getting the better of his two rivals.
His next assignment was the Formby Novices’ Hurdle at Aintree on Boxing Day but things didn’t go to plan and he lost his unbeaten record.
Supporters were quick to blame the fact that the two flights of hurdles in the straight were omitted, but that would have been equally as inconvenient for the Harry Fry-trained winner Idaho Sun. He now looks very opposable for the Supreme in a couple of months time.
Inothewayurthinkin
Gavin Cromwell’s stable star produced an excellent display to win the Gold Cup with plenty in hand at Cheltenham in March, gunning down Galopin Des Champs in the process.
The JP McManus-owned gelding has been well below that level in two starts this season and there was no excuse for his performance at Leopardstown.
Drifting markedly before the race, he didn’t jump well and looked beaten after 10 fences. That certainly wasn’t the performance of a Gold Cup winner and it will be back to the drawing board for connections now as they plot their next move.
Ballyburn
Willie Mullins’ Ballyburn looked like a real superstar as a novice hurdler but has failed to reach those heights in the last couple of seasons.
Decent enough over fences last term, he did manage to win a Grade 1 at the Dublin Racing Festival but flopped in the Brown Advisory at Cheltenham.
He returned to form with a close second over hurdles in the Hatton’s Grace at Fairyhouse earlier on in the season and expectations were high in the Christmas Hurdle at Leopardstown as a result. However, Ballyburn was a well beaten third in the end and is going to be difficult to place from now on.
Fact To File
One for the McManus and Mullins combination, the impressive Ryanair Chase winner has been beaten in both starts this season. There was no shame in his narrow defeat at the hands of Gaelic Warrior in the John Durkan but he flopped in the King George.
He was too keen in the early stages of the race and didn’t travel or jump as powerfully as he usually does. It was a very flat performance from the son of Poliglote and he was beaten after the third-last.
There will need to be lots of improvement if he is to defend his Cheltenham crown. His recent performances over three miles have left many people scratching their heads, as he was an impressive winner of the Brown Advisory two seasons ago.
